French beheading suspect expected to be charged with terrorism


France's chief public prosecutor has announced the country will pursue terrorism charges against Yassin Salhi, 35, the suspect accused of beheading his boss and attempting to blow up a gas plant last Friday. Salhi has claimed that the attack was unmotivated by his alleged connections to Islamist militants and instead the result of "personal problems," Reuters reports.
Last Friday, the head of Salhi's boss was discovered chained to a fence outside the plant and Islamist flags were also found at the site. Salhi is believed to have killed his boss during a delivery, then driven to the gas plant, where he was captured.
"Yassin Salhi beheaded his victim and pinned his head on the fence to seek maximum publicity for his act," Prosecutor Francois Molins said, citing similar executions performed by the Islamic State.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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